


Operation Odette

by lylaslegend, rubyknowbys



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Swan Queen Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 23:10:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15806445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lylaslegend/pseuds/lylaslegend, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubyknowbys/pseuds/rubyknowbys
Summary: After Neverland, they thought everything would be quiet for a while. Of course not. When they return, they have to face Pan's curse and Regina has to sacrifice what she loves most to save the town, which means that she can't stay with Henry and Emma. And we are talking about Regina, everything is going wrong, but of course she will also have to deal with the soulmate that Tinker's fairy dust has shown her years ago.Following the prompt for day 01 of Swan Queen Week: Fuck Destiny, I Choose You.





	Operation Odette

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! So, Tamires (rubyknowbys) and I decided that we would join SQW this year, it's our first working together and it has not been reviewed yet, so all mistakes are ours. We hope you enjoy!

They thought that _fucking_ Neverland would be the last problem disturbing their not-so-calm lives. They also thought about what the future would bring when they returned in Storybrooke, but Emma and Regina never imagined _this._

Neverland was a trip they would never forget. Fighting together for the same goal, for _Henry_. Their son, who brought them together, who connected them. Regina hated the time they spent in Neverland with all her soul, mostly because of the despair she felt all the time. Despair that was relieved when she realized she wasn’t alone. She was without Henry, but Emma never leaved her side.

_Emma._

Henry’s other mother, the insufferable woman that she has grown to love. The only thing that made Neverland less horrid. The only thing that made it kind of worth it. Now, when she find herself analyzing what happened, she realizes that it would happen another time, but it doesn’t make it less special.

Doesn’t make it less _magic._

To be honest, it was a huge boost to her ego when Emma _choose her._ Emma had Killian and Neal trying to get her attention, but she only had eyes for Regina.

They made _fucking_ plans for their return. But, no. Pan had to come and do something, had to come to ruin everything she fought so much to start getting. She was starting to feel that that was the time when the humiliated would be exalted. That feeling was nothing but a perfect illusion.

All the mess started when Pan switched himself with Henry. It was Emma who realized that something was wrong with him. Regina felt like a shitty mother in exactly that moment and felt the urge to throw a fireball in Emma for being the good mother she wasn’t able to be at this moment. But then she remembered herself that she couldn’t do that, because she loved her. Argh, damn feelings.

And then what happened after that, did happen so fast that she couldn’t even describe.

But I can, because I’m a very good narrator.

Pan wanted to cast a dark curse, like Regina’s, because he wasn’t _that_ creative to make a plan for himself. And then he did cast the curse using the heart of the men who was the person most loyal to him. The thing he loved most. I think that was really gay, but I mean, my opinion don’t really matter because I’m just the narrator here.

And to stop the curse, they had to find the original parchment of the original dark curse and it was going to show them what they had to do to stop Pan’s curse. But first they had to return Henry to his body, and with Rumple’s help they were able to do that.

It comes that Henry was with the parchment, because Pan was using his body to his evil plans. He gave it to Emma, who looked at Regina with various emotions written in her face, and said.

“It’s up to you, now” she gave the little thing in her hand to Regina, who took it and immediately was surrounded by a purple light and knocked down in the middle of the street.

Regina opened her eyes to see a bunch of purple smoke surrounding a dark room, she blinked a few times to start seeing more clear and spotted a figure in the middle of the room. She took a few steps and recognized the figure.

Cora. _Her mother._

Who was smiling at her. It wasn’t that sick smile she gave Regina all the times she abused her psychologically, it was a genuine, and kind of sad, smile.

“Well, looks like I was designed by your subconscious to give you the bad news.” She said, sighing.

“I thought magic brought me here, not my subconscious.” Regina was really confused by her mother’s comment and Cora rolled her eyes.

“The purple light of the parshment brought you here, but you could find anyone here to tell you what you will have to do. It wasn’t magic who choose me, you did.”

“Right.” Regina said, not understanding the situation, but letting it go. “What I’ll have to do to save everyone from the curse?”

“You will have to let go of the things you love most. You know what I’m talking about.”

After the words were spoken, the darkness came back, but not for a long time. Regina opened her eyes again, her heart aching in a way she barely could breathe.

“Emma,” she whispered, looking at the blonde at her side.

“What happened? You okay?” Emma asked, worried, while helped her to stand up.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was just-”

“What is it?” Snow, as usual, interrupted. “What should we do to stop it?”

“Not us. _Me_.” She sighed. “I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most.”

“Henry.” Emma reached for their son, bringing him close to them.

“And I can never see him again.” For a moment, everything stayed quiet. “I have no choice. Since I was the one who started it, I am the one who have to undo it.”

“The curse that brought us to Storybrooke.” David said, and if they were in other days, Regina would roll her eyes and say ‘don’t tell me, genius.’, but she didn’t have time for it.

“The curse that created Storybrooke. It doesn’t belong here, neither do any of us.”

“And what will happen? I mean, break the curse will destroy Storybrooke. What about us?” Snow asked, with the seriousness she got when she still ran away from the Queen.

“We’ll go back to where we belong.” Regina sighed, it was so painful and she was sure that if someone crushed her heart, it would not hurt like that.. “Except for Henry. He will stay here because he was born here and because I have to pay the price or it won’t work.”

“He will stay here? Alone?” Emma’s voice was so trembling, Regina could feel her heart breaking through every word.

“No. You’ll take him because you’re the Savior. You were born to break the curse and just like the first time, you can escape it.”

“But I-I don’t want to. We’ll both go back with everyone.”

“Emma, you have to go.” Her father said, but it wasn't hopeless. David would never be hopeless. He would fight against everything, even when he did not have the chance. It was a dumb _charming_ thing that apparently was passed from generation to generation. Emma was like her father and Henry was like Emma.

“I just found you.” Emma said, tightening her arms around Henry. “I’m the Savior. I’m supposed to bring back everyone’s happy endings. It doesn’t seem like a happy ending.”

“It’s not. But happy endings aren’t always what we think they will be.” Snow reached her daughters’ hands, holding tight.

“Emma,” Regina  took her hand and moved away from the others."You do not think if there was any way I could bring the two of you with me, would not I?" She fought back tears. "It's not just Henry, I can't have you either. When I cast the curse, I had to give up the thing I loved most. This time wouldn’t be different.”

“But I just found you.” Emma repeated, looking at her parents, their son, and back at Regina. “I’m not done yet.”

“Neither do I.” Regina touched her face, letting the first tears fall when Emma closed her eyes.

Then that’s it. When was fate fair with Regina, anyway? Once she was finally happy, finally feeling she _could_ be better, fate was taking away everything she loved.

She felt it in her bones. She knew there was no time and knew that her life would never be the same. She couldn’t even begin to think about how she was supposed to be without her son. Without that _damn Savior_ who did exactly was she was meant for.

At the town’s line, everyone was there. And by everyone, I mean all of the town’s people. They were there to say goodbye to Emma and Henry, but mostly to not be consumed by the curse too soon. As the curse approached them, goodbyes were being said and tears were starting to fall. Emma hugged her parents and Henry approached Regina to give her the tightest of the hugs he had ever given her.

“This isn’t fair. It’s all my fault.” he said, his eyes full of regret. Regina didn’t understand how all of this could be his fault nor why he was blaming himself.

“What do you mean, sweetheart?” she asked, looking into his eyes.

“If I had never gone to get Emma, if I just lived under the curse with you, none of this would’ve ever happened.” he gives her the saddest of the smiles. “I thought I was alone. I thought you didn’t love me. But I was wrong”

“Henry.” she calls and let a single tear falls on her cheek. “I was wrong, too. It wasn’t your fault. It’s mine.” she sighs. “You heard Mr. Gold. Villains don’t get happy endings.”

“You’re not a villain. You’re my mom.”

She hugged him again, her eyes full of tears, but she wasn’t going to cry in front of everyone, no. After all, she was still a queen. When she let go of Henry, she saw the blonde she loved so much in front of her. Emma gave a careful step, and reached for her hands.

“My gift to you is good memories, a good life for you and Henry. You’ll have never given him up. You’ll have always been together.” Regina said before Emma was able to say anything.

“You would do that?” Emma wasn’t surprised by the benevolence of the former evil-queen but she did not want to believe that was really happening.

"When I stop Pan's curse, and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted."

“But it won’t be real. You won’t be there.” the queen felt the tears starting to come back but she forced herself to not cry in front of Emma. She was trying to look strong.

“Well, your past won’t be real, but your future will.” she ignored the last comment made by Emma, because it did hurt so much. “Now go. There isn’t much time left, and the curse will be here any minute.”

But Emma did the opposite. Instead of going, she take a new step forward and hugged her. Regina closed her eyes and felt the tears she fought against so much, starting to fall.

“Thank you. For everything.” Emma said and hugged her tighter. Regina felt herself melting on the embrace and sighed.

“I will wait for you. If we ever find each other again, I want to go to that date you promised me days ago.” she whispered into Emma’s ear and they laughed sadly remembering the day Emma promised that date.

“We will.” Emma whispered back and separated them from the embrace.

“Now you gotta get our son the hell out of here.” Regina said, sadly, but smiled, knowing Henry would be safe with Emma.

“And you have to go back there.”

“Yeah, I do.” they both sighed and Emma walked away from Regina to get in the yellow car. When Emma was entering it, Regina called. “Hey. This isn’t over. I’ll see both of you again.”

“There’s not a day will go by I won’t think of you.” Emma said and Regina nodded sadly, still crying, because she knew it was a lie. The moment both of them pass the line, she was going to be erased from their memories.

And Regina’s heart hurts so much with that information.

The yellow car started walking and Regina destroyed the pershment, squeezing it hard, with all the anger of fate she was feeling. The green smoke was so close in that moment and she turned her palms to it, releasing her purple smoke to change the course of the curse.

Then, the purple smoke enveloped them, bringing them to the place she thought she was never going back.

When the purple smoke dispersed, Regina opened her eyes to the Enchanted Forest. They were out of her old castle, all Enchanted Forest folk. She sighed painful as she embraced her new curse. The spell turned against the sorcerer never made so much sense. She cast the worst of the curses in pursuit of her own happy ending and now she was stuck in another realm with no chance of having it back.

They barely had time to look around when an arrow passed within a few inches of Regina. Then she turned, her fireball already in her hand and she was ready to burn the person who was attacking them. And of course the person was a man.

“Who do you think you are?” She shrieked coldly at the strange man.

“You tell me, lady.” His voice was rude and with an accent she couldn’t identify. But before she had time to respond, she heard Snow calling for her.

“Regina! Get out of the way!” When she looked at her former nemesis, she was searching for something she could use as weapon. And then Regina saw what the danger was. A flying monkey.

Seriously?

Then a little boy appeared out of nowhere and the flying monkey headed toward him.

“Roland!” The strange man screamed as he pulled another arrow.

Regina took a few steps forward, another fireball in her hands.

“Regina, run!” This time it was David and she rolled her eyes.

“I don’t run from monsters. Monsters run from me.” and she do some creepy magic and transforms the flying monkey into a stuffed flying monkey. She walked over to the boy, who was now in the arms of whom she thought should be his father, and gave him the toy. “See? Not so scary and now you have a toy.” She smiled, her heart was always too weak for kids.

“Thank you.” The man said, making her remember his existence. And she gave him a tight smile. “I guess I owe you an apology. My name’s Robin and this is my son, Roland.”

“Regina.” She said simply, and turned to look at the castle.

“As the Queen?” She sighed, apparently the man - Robin - was in such a chatty mood.

“Exactly.” 

“So I have to address you with this ‘Your Majesty’ thing?” He said and she fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“Do whatever you want.” And walked away. The man, who doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries, followed her.

“Wait! How can I show you how grateful I am for you saving my son?” she looked at him with a fake smile on her face.

“Oh, you don’t need to show me anything. I did what I had to do.” he looks at her with such adoration on his face that she suddenly feels diabetic.

“I insist. Let me buy you a drink at the Tavern sometime.” he says dumbly and Regina looks at him with a scowl on her face.

“I’m a queen. Queens don’t go to taverns and drink around. I have self-respect. Besides, I don’t even know you, bro.” she says, and think about Emma in the moment she let the word ‘bro’ slip. “I’m walking a lot with Emma.” she smiles dumbly. “Emma…” she whisper and tears start to fall while she remembers their goodbye.

She can’t control herself and sobs get louder. Robin is staring at her as if another head had grown up in Regina.

“Lady, you ok?” He tried to get close to her but David came with his sword and stood between them.

“What did you do?!” David shouted, his face enraged.

“I just- I… Well, I don’t know. I asked her out then she called me ‘bro’ and then she started talking about ‘Emma’ and… What the hell is bro, anyway?”

“Henry..” she remembers her little prince and the sobs get more intense. David ignores Robin and get close to the queen to hug her.

“Everything is going to be fine, shh…” he tries to comfort her and Robin smiles knowingly.

“Oh, I see what’s going on here. You two are together, don’t you?” Regina stands up abruptly, getting out of David’s embrace and facing Robin with her face all red. Most because of the crying but red with rage, too.

“ _What the fuck are you insinuating?_ ” she lights a fireball in her palm and David is red with rage, too. He gets his sword and Robin is faced by two raged people with weapons.

“Nothing, lady. Forget I said anything.” his eyes go wide with fear and he gives some steps back.

Not so far from there, Snow and Ruby are watching everything. They heard the turmoil and came to see what was happening. Both of them heard the former comment from the thief and were rooting for Regina and David, of course.

“Get him! Fry him! Let’s make a meal with his rests!” Ruby shouted but neither of the three heard her because they were absorbed in the situation.

“Ruby!” Snow scolded.

“Sorry, Emma showed me the movie.” She shrugged. Out of nothing, Snow starts sobbing.

“My daughter. I will never see my daughter again.” Ruby sighs and pulls Snow closer, hugging her.

David was now looking at his wife who was crying inconsolably in Ruby’s arms. But before he could reach her, a green smoke appeared between them.

“What the hell is going on here?” A green-skinned witch with red curls asked, her hands on her hips.

“Who are you?” Regina asked back. The witch looked at her and then her face softened.

“Regina? Oh my god!” She walked to the queen, hugging her tightly. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re coming?”

“Ok, who the fuck are you and why are you hugging me?” Regina said, trying to get out of the tight hug.

“Oh, sorry. I’m Zelena, your sister.” Everyone gasped around them and Regina laughed.

“That’s not possible, you’re green.” She pointed the obvious.

“I can’t say I wasn’t told about how rude you are.” She shrugged. “Anyway, come in! We have so much to talk about!”

“Come in where?” Snow asked.

“And you are?” Zelena looked at her.

“Snow White.” With that information, Zelena looked at Regina with her mouth open.

“No fucking way! We _do_ have so much to talk about!” She said and then began to walk, leading the way to Regina’s castle. When they reached the castle’s gates, she turned to the folks. “Ok, I don’t know what happened _yet_ but I’m sure you all have your own homes so you’re free to go now. Yay!” One by one, everyone was making their own way, staying only the Charmings, Regina, Ruby, Robin and his kid. Zelena cleared her throat.

“She’s with us.” Snow said, pointing at Ruby. 

“And you, dear? You have your home, don’t you?” Zelena asked to Robin and he blushed.

“Yes, but-”

“Bye.” She answered and turned to enter the castle. Regina smirked, she doesn’t know this woman yet but she was already liking her.

After a hearty and almost untouchable dinner, they were at the castle’s living room drinking and putting the matter up. Zelena is Cora’s daughter, and after years for searching, Zelena finally found her lost sister. She told she came to Enchanted Forest and found only a few people who told her what had happened. And after that, she decided to take care of Regina’s castle until her sister returned home.

Regina could feel the sincerity in the blue eyes, but she wasn’t up to tell a complete stranger about her life and with just one glance at Snow, she knew they were on the same page. So she told a little about what happened and don’t told about Henry or Emma.

“I feel like you’re not telling me everything, but you know what? I’m going to gain your trust!” she smiled, showing she was not hurt about that, but was determined. “Now, let me tell you about my years here.”

She told Regina all about the years she spent looking for Regina and ended up getting at the Enchanted Forest. She didn’t found Regina but liked the place and asked the people who don’t ended up in the curse about her.

“I learned so much about your doings, but I don’t think they know about the real you, and I’d like to know about the real you, if you let me, sis.”

“Someday we’ll get to that.” Regina smiled and Zelena offered a tour around the castle, after all, much has changed.  


The days passed and Snow started crying less when someone bring Emma’s subject. Regina was pretending, like always, that she was fine but everyone could see she wasn’t. Zelena was starting to gain her trust and they were having a fraternal relationship, of course they had a lot of disagreements that were turned into a witch fight but everyone could see they loved each other.

And Zelena, most of the times, was the reason Regina hadn’t given up.

When she was sad about Henry and Emma, Zelena was always there to lift her up, when Robin, the man who is the personification of the word ‘inconvenience’, was there trying to court her, Zelena always asked if she could transform him into a flying monkey. Regina never let her, because of Roland, but if it wasn’t the boy, she would let Zelena transform him easily and laugh about it.

One day, Regina was walking on the lands around the castle when one little body comes out of nowhere hugging her legs.

“Regina!” Roland says excitedly and she smiles fondly. “What are you doing?” he asks, curiously.

“I’m just walking, and you?” she sees his father coming and her smile is vanished from her face. The boy was adorable, but the father misunderstood all the situation when she saved the boy from the flying monkey.

“Papa was showing me the land! I love trees.” he says and she laughs about his enthusiasm.

“Hey, your majesty.” Robin, who was quiet watching their interaction, spoke up. 

“Robin.” she gives him a formal nod and a fake smile she learned to master all of these years.

“Let’s go, Roland, we need to get back to the Merry Men’s camp.” Robin says and lifts Roland up to his arms, then she sees something very familiar to her that wishes she could forget.

Then everything goes very quickly into Regina’s mind as her eyes focus on the tattooed lion on Robin’s arm.

First she was falling until a fairy saved her life and told her that she had a chance for a happy ending. Then she was flying through the night sky with fairy dust, being guided to her soulmate in this world. And then she was watching a man from a tavern window, his back to her but his tattoo was visible. A lion. And then she was rushing to her fate set in the king’s castle, running away from her second chance.

She was lucky that Robin and Roland weren’t there anymore to see her throwing up her whole lunch.

Regina poofed herself into her bedroom, where Zelena was waiting for her for what she called “daily sisters bonding”, but Regina was so stunned about her discovery that she didn’t realized her presence there.

“It can’t be. _Oh my god. What the fuck._ ” she looks up and stares at the ceiling as if she was talking to God. “It’s that a game? You smoke crack, universe? Is that what you smoke?”

“I don’t know what are you talking about, and I don’t know what _crack_ is, but this is funny.” Zelena laughs and Regina jumps and looks at Zelena.

“You remember the history I told you days ago when I was explaining how I know Tinkerbell?” she asks and Zelena nods. “I found my soulmate and boy, this is fucked up.”

“Who is it?” 

“Robin Hood, the oh-so-honourable man who robs from the rich to give it to the poor.” Zelena starts laughing but she she realize Regina is serious, she stops the laughter.

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“I wish.” Regina sighs. “I mean, how can _he_ be my soulmate? I don’t feel any connection with him. I thought this was supposed to happen.”

“Oh, don’t ask me. I don’t know anything about this subject.”

Zelena really didn’t know anything about this subject, so she had to reach the only person she knew that would know about this mess. Tinker Bell. And maybe this was the less clever decision she had taken in months.

“I think I found the soulmate that your fairy dust showed me years ago.” She says coldly, when her purple smoke dissipates, not caring whether or not Tinker was alone.

“Oh,” The former fairy says. “He is here?”

“Of course he is here. Where the hell would I find him if he wasn’t here?!” 

“Then why aren’t you with him?”

“Because I have self-respect.” Tinker just roll her eyes. “Because I don’t need him, I don’t even felt like we’re connected by some powerful thing.” 

“Is this because of Emma?” Tinker sighs. “Look, Regina, you should let her go. You know, fate is giving you another chance to make what is right for yourself.”

“You don’t know what is right for me. You came into my life with this fairy-dust-never-fails thing but a lot has changed in all those years.”

“So what you will do?” she asks and Regina sighs, they stay sometime in silent, justin looking at each other.

“I don’t fucking know.” Tinker rolls her eyes at the former evil-queen’s stubbornness.

“I still think you should try.” she says and lifts up her chin. “Try will not kill you, you know?”

Regina doesn’t say anything, just poofs herself back to the castle. Zelena and The Charmings are waiting for her, all of them with curiosity to know what happened, but she passes past them, not saying a word. But David couldn’t hold his curiosity and go after her. 

“If makes you feel better, I still think your soulmate is Emma. No dust will make me think otherwise.” he smiles and Regina bites her lip to not start crying again. “I mean, you are the best daughter-in-law any man could dream of.”

“I miss them so much.” Regina lets a sob escape and he tries to comfort her with a hug. He nods and feel the tears forming in his eyes.

“Yeah, me too.”

Zelena was watching them, her bottom lip between her teeth as she watched her sister cry. She could swear that everyone could see the gears running full steam in her head as sought a solution. After a sigh, she entered the room, being followed by Snow and Ruby.

“Maybe we should open a portal.” She says, breaking the silence.

“It won’t work.”

“Well, I don’t know… You’ve cast a curse once, maybe you can do it again.”

“It won’t work either.”

“Why not?”

“Because I had to use my father’s heart and as you can imagine, I can’t use his heart again and I would need the heart of the thing I love most. So it’s impossible once Henry and Emma aren’t here and-” She looked at David and Snow.

“What?” They asked together.

“We can’t leave them there. I know Gold meant it when he that said villains don’t get happy endings, but I don’t care. We are their family and family never leave each other.” She tries to sound hopeful, but her voice is still affected by crying and she clears her throat.

“What’s your suggestion?” Snow asked, carefully but feeling the hope grow inside her.

“Dude, she made you watch Lilo & Stitch, didn’t she?” Ruby commented sadly and Zelena looked at her with a frown.

“What’s Lilo & Stitch?”

“We will watch together after our date.” Ruby smirked.

Zelena blinked at her and the other three persons in the room watched their interaction with a big smile on their faces.

“Oh, young love. So beautiful.” Snow says and sighs happily. “Sorry for interrupting the moment, but, what’s your suggestion, Regina?”

“I think one of you two,” she points at the Charmings “should cast the curse.”

“But If I cast the curse I would need to use Charming’s heart and vice-versa.” Snow points out the obvious with a frown on her face and Regina smiles.

“One thing I did learn was about how True Love is the powerful magic of all. I think you two could share a heart.”

And with that, she convinced them. They went to the place Regina casted the first curse and did the whole thing. Snow had taken David’s heart in her hands and was difficult for her to take his life, but the conviction that she would share her heart with him made her go through it. The smoke started to go out while Regina took Snow’s heart and divided it in two, placing half of it on David’s chest and half on Snow’s.

It worked. David woke up and Snow cried in relief while the curse enveloped them all.

 

Regina opened her eyes, remembering all of what happened. She stared at the ceiling of the bedroom she slept for no more than three decades and sighed happily. She remembered the months they spent in the Enchanted Forest, but the question was: Who else remembered?

She changed her clothes with magic, thanking God Storybrooke’s magic didn’t vanished away and started looking for Zelena. Turns out the redhead was downstairs exploring the new land, full of new technologies.

“Sis, this new land is so strange! I liked it.” Zelena says trying to figure out the coffee machine and Regina teaches her how to use it.

“We need to come up with a plan to find Emma and Henry.” Regina says and her phone starts ringing, loud.

“What’s that?” Zelena points at the phone with a look of horror and Regina asks her to wait.

“Hello?” she answer the phone when sees who’s calling her.

 _“Regina, we have a problem.”_ Snow sighs and Regina listen some noises behind Snow. _“No one besides David, Ruby, you, maybe Zelena and I remembers the time we spent at the Enchanted Forest.”_

“You are the Mayor now, so you can explain everything to everyone and I will find Emma with Ruby and Zelena.”

“Regina, I don’t know anything about-” Regina hangs up the phone and sighs. She looks at Zelena, who is eyeing her with amazement. 

“This land is really, really strange.”

Turns out that internet is really useful. Social media has everything and they soon learn everything about this new Emma Swan who’s living in New York with her son, Henry. Ruby suggests that Regina makes one account and starts chatting with Emma via internet, but Regina has a hard time using it.

With that, they went to plan B.

She was going to New York.

Of course they opposed it, no one knew what could happen when Regina crossed the town’s line. And they couldn’t take that risk. But they didn’t have time to look for another alternative.

And obviously, the only people who could change her mind were in New York.

“I’ll go with you.” Zelena said, her blue eyes worried.

“No way.” Regina didn’t even have a second thought. “I’m not going to risk your safety. We don’t know what can happen when we cross the line.”

“That’s why I’m going with you. If everything goes wrong, you will not be alone out there. And they said you might not remember anything at all if… Well, you can’t change my mind. If you’re going, I’m going with you.”

Cora’s daughters had the stubbornness of their mother. And the beauty too, of course.

Regina had no choice and she didn’t want to waste any more time, so they crossed the line when the sun was setting. Regina’s hands trembled against the wheel and she closed her eyes waiting her mind went blank and when it didn’t happen, she sighed in relief. Looking in the rearview mirror and seeing that she could still see the Charmings on the town’s line.

She really thought it was strange that everything was going well, but she wasn’t going to push her luck.

“So, what’s the plan?” After a moment of silence, Zelena asks. She was bored and tired of looking out the window.

"Uh, I don’t know. I guess I'll figure out what to do when I see her." Regina tried to ignore the cold in her belly when she thought Emma wouldn't remember who she was.

“You really love her, don’t you?” Zelena asks, a soft smile in her lips. 

“More than anything.” Regina answer and can’t control her own smile.

“Ruby told me about you and Emma.”

“Oh? That gossip wolf…”

“Actually, she's glad you finally assumed you love each other. She said it was impossible to be in the same room as you because of all the sexual tension.”

“Oh.” Regina feels her cheeks go hot.

“No reason to be ashamed, sis.” Zelena laughs. “I can’t wait to meet them!” She changes the subject and Regina is grateful. 

When they finally arrive in New York, it's almost sunset again. And Regina is more nervous than ever. She thinks about stopping at some B&B and waiting until tomorrow, but she can't. She would probably go crazy if she didn't see her son, her love soon.

Thanks to a post on Emma's Facebook, she knows where they are living and heads straight there. It would be easier if it didn’t have a doorman in the building.

But she looks at Zelena while an idea goes through her head. 

“Zelena, I’ll need your help.”

While her sister distracts the doorman, Regina goes to the elevator and it’s when she realize she doesn’t know the floor of Emma’s apartment. And nor what apartment it might be. She sighs and decides to try every apartment of every floor.

Maybe fate is by her side because there’s only five apartments by floor and seven floors.

She was almost helpless when she reached apartment 402 and knocked on the door. But when she hears a familiar voice saying "I'm coming!", her heart missed a beat.

Emma opens the door and Regina almost cries.

And of course Emma would notice that, she frowns, and even without remembering Regina, her eyes are worried.

"Can I help you, lady?" She asks, folding her arms around her body after closing the door behind her.

"I-" Regina thinks of everything she can say, but nothing comes to her mouth.

It should be easier. How can she tell this woman without frightening her? What can she do to break this curse? What-

"Of course!" She thinks aloud and Emma frowns even more.

"What-" She reaches Emma's face, kissing her without hesitation. She was sure it would work. But she feels her hopes dying when she realizes that Emma isn't kissing back. She isn’t pulling her away either. And when Regina pulls herself away, she can’t even look at Emma anymore.

"I'm so sorry." She says, so low that she isn't sure that Emma heard. "I thought it would work."

"What?" Emma says after a long silence. She couldn't think straight.

"It was supposed to work, I don't understand why it didn't work." Regina is saying more to herself than to Emma.

"What should work? And who are you? Why did you kiss me? Are you crazy?" Emma's questions slip her mouth without her permission.

"Our kiss must have broken this damn curse." Regina isn't looking at her, she is pacing back and forth, thinking aloud to herself. "It was to be a true love's kiss, the most powerful magic of all."

"Okay, you're really insane." Emma says.

"You should remember me when we kiss, but of course it will not work in a land without magic." Regina isn't paying attention to Emma, she's still trying to figure out why this didn't work.

"Lady, you should go or I-" Emma stops abruptly, but Regina did not notice.

Regina didn't notice the way Emma froze. She didn't notice when Emma stopped talking and looked at her.

"I can't believe it didn't work out." Now she's crying, she can't control herself. She didn't break the curse, her son and Emma will never remember her. She lost them forever. "I can't-" She sobs.

"Regina." Emma says, but Regina is not listening, so Emma pulls her close in a hug.

"No, you don’t need to comfort me. I'm sorry again. And I should-" Emma holds her chin and kiss her before she can finish the sentence.

Regina's hands are tangled in Emma's hair, while the blonde's hands are at her waist, pulling her closer.

“You remembered.” She says, breathless, her forehead on Emma's, eyes closed.

“I missed you.”

Before she could say anything, the door opened and Henry hurried out.

"Ma, we need to get back to- Mom!"

“Henry!” Regina says, happily and feeling like she could cry. She was fast to hug him and squeezed him hard. “I missed you so much, my little prince.”

“I missed you too, Mom.” he says and laughs a little. “I mean, I didn’t remember you, but always felt like something was missing.”

Suddenly, Regina remembered about Zelena and felt the need of share her happiness with her sister, who helped her through those months.

“There’s someone I need to introduce you.”

They spent a week in New York. Of course they would. I mean, who is fool enough to be in the City That Never Sleeps and not enjoy every second of it? Well, clearly they are not.

Zelena was adapting very fast, on the second day she didn't look like she was from a fairytale realm. She was excited to know everything she could - and to buy a bunch of new clothes, in every shade of green she could find.

They are happy. As Regina imagined, they were getting on very well. Whoever looked at them, thought they were a family having a fun trip. The rest of the world would never have imagined that there are many things unsolved, especially between Regina and Zelena. And I’m very happy to say that even with the past and newly discovered sisterhood, they don’t look like two women who have just met. It’s like fate - yeah, this pretty little word that causes so many troubles - has worked for them.

When they finally decide it's time to head back to Storybrooke, Regina discovers that this is possibly the hardest thing she has to do. Of course, she didn't think of the yellow bug as something they should bring with them. "Why do not we leave it here?" she said and Emma looked at her as if Regina was asking her to leave a son behind.

After picking up all that was important, they started the way back home. In the rearview mirror, Regina could see Emma following her. Zelena was coming with Emma, and Regina almost felt sorry for the embarrassment that her sister would probably cause to the blonde.

"Mom," says Henry, after a conversation about his days in New York. "How did you find us?"

"Well, once a boy taught me that we can always find the ones we love, no matter how far or how difficult it may be." She smiles at her son, his eyes so proud and that devotion that Regina will never get used to. "And, of course, I couldn't do it without an operation." Her heart warmed as she heard her son laughing.

"I hope you have not forgotten one of the most important things about operations, the name."

"I did not. I must say our Operation Odette is doing very well, by the way." She says and her excitement is audible when he speaks again.

"Odette as in Swan Lake?"

"Very perceptive, young man."

"Makes sense." After a moment of silence, he calls her again. "I'm glad you did not give up on us." 

"I would never give up." She blinks tears, smiling and feeling her heart beat fast with the thought that she finally has everything she needs.

When they get to Storybrooke, there's a party waiting for them. And even being tired, they go and everything seems to be in the right place. 

"You do not think I forgot our date." Emma says into her ear as they are dancing in their own ball, as if there were only two.

"Oh?" Regina smiles. "Glad to see that your memory is going well, dear."

"Does the Queen have any free time to spend with a mere woman tomorrow night?" Emma said, making Regina smile.

"You are not a 'mere woman', Miss Swan. You're a princess."

Emma snorted. “I am not.”

“Yes, you are. _My_ princess.” Regina kisses her softly. “And Emma?” Emma opens her eyes and Regina is out of breath. "The Queen will always have time to spend with you."

The next night arrives and Regina is feeling like a teenager going on her first date with her first love. She is nervous and when she hears the bell, she frowns. Emma must be here in half an hour. She opens the door and stares at Ruby, wearing a decent dress for the first time in her life and looks as nervous as Regina herself.

"Zelena's ready?" Ruby can say, after noting that Regina wouldn’t say a word.

"I think so," says Regina, looking at the woman with half-closed eyes. "We'll talk about this later, Miss Luccas. I need to know your intentions with my sister."

"O-okay."

"Regina, you're scaring my date." She listens to her sister and turns to the woman. "We should go."

"Behave yourself. Don’t do anything I would not do." Regina says, in her queenly tone, Ruby blushes hard while Zelena laughs and kisses Regina's cheeks before she goes.

Emma arrives a little after that. Her usual white blouse, red leather jacket and tight jeans. Regina couldn’t help but think she's the most beautiful woman she's ever laid eyes on. Little does she know that Emma thinks the same.

The night is beautiful, the sky is full of stars and the moon is so big that Regina feels like she is living her own fairy tale where everything is perfect. And she smiles to herself when she thinks that's _exactly_ what's happening.

They date is a late night picnic on the square and Regina feels butterflies in her stomach when she sees what Emma has prepared for them. A checkered tablecloth and picnic basket. It has wine and some cheeses, breads and fruits.

"Did you like it?" Emma asks, holding Regina by the back and resting her chin on Regina's shoulder.

"Is perfect." Regina says, turning to kiss the woman. "Thank you."

They sit and eat while they talk about everything they can think of. And after they finish, they lie down and watch the sky in silence.

"Zelena told me about the man." Emma says and Regina froze. "She said you met the man who years ago, the fairy dust led you to meet your soulmate."

"Yes, it happened." She sighs. "But it's not my problem that my feelings are in someone else."

Emma laughs, tightening her grip around Regina. "But he should be with you, wasn’t he? Something like fate."

"My destiny is not dictated by some fairy dust, dear. And, by the way, I do not care what fate says, I choose you. Only you."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ♥


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